PULMONARY TB AMONG MYANMAR MIGRANTS IN SAMUT SAKHON PROVINCE, THAILAND: A. PROBLEM OR NOT FOR THE TB CONTROL PROGRAM?

Most transnational migrant workers in Thailand are from Myanmar, a country with a high tuberculosis prevalence. We investigated the prevalence of suspected pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) among Myanmar migrants in communities of Mueang District, Samut Sakhon Province, Thailand. Symptom screening for those with a productive cough of more than 2 weeks was conducted by face-to-face home interviews with 4,874 participants aged at least 15 years. Most subjects (75%) were aged 15-34 years (75%), 52% were male and 60% were married. Subjects typically lived with fellow nationals in crowded, poorly ventilated apartments or row houses. Ten subjects had suspected TB, giving a prevalence rate of 0.2%. Ninety-seven percent were working in Thailand legally but 80% had no health insurance. None had sought community health services; all preferred self-medication and private clinics due to stigma associated with TB, medication costs and health center waiting times. Providing information about health insurance and introducing TB prevention and control in this group should be considered. Further studies are needed to develop a TB control program and communicable disease surveillance among migrant communities, in Thailand.